THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it has updated the list of registered manufacturers, importers, and exporters of tobacco and vapor products.
In a memorandum circular dated Sept. 4, the agency updated the list to also include their corresponding product brands or variants of cigarettes, heated tobacco products, vapor products, and novel tobacco products.
The BIR said this will help “intensify its campaign against illicit tobacco products.”
Registered manufacturers, importers and exporters must register their brands and variants within six months from the date of the release of the circular to avoid penalties for non-compliance.
“Furthermore, the products must comply with the requirement on graphic health warning and affixing of BIR tax stamps except for vapor products and novel tobacco products for which Internal Revenue Stamps Integrated System stamps are not yet available in the system,” the BIR added.
Under the updated list, domestic manufacturers of locally produced cigarettes include Associated Anglo-American Tobacco Corp., JT International Philippines, MPE Tobacco Trading, PMFTC, Inc., Rolyo Cigarette, Inc., Telengtan Brothers and Sons, Inc. (La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory), Vidda Resources, Inc., Yosimite Oriental Supersystem, Inc.
Meanwhile, export manufacturers include PMFTC and Telengtan Brothers and Sons.
Cigarette manufacturers registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority are Baisisen Global Corp., Fourthstripe Manufacturing Corp., Gold Tree Tobacco Manufacturing Corp., Golden Leaf Manufacturing International, Inc., Hongcim Int’l Corp., JT International Asia Manufacturing Corp., Magnum Tobacco Manufacturing Corp., Noble Leaf Manufacturing, Inc., OneSubic Premier Manufacturing Corp., Pan Subic Brothers Manufacturing Corp., Prudence Development and Management Corp., Thaitian Cigarette and Tobacco Corp., and TM8 Enterprises, Inc.
The BIR also listed cigarette importers 20 S, Inc., Duty Free Philippines, Gold Tree Import and Export, Inc., Indigo Distribution Corp., JT International Philippines, Kenstand Philippines, Inc., Phil-One Extreme Corp., PMFTC, Inc., Realway International Phil. Corp., Stable East Tobacco Trading Corp., Sunshine Bay Philippines, Inc., Vidda Resources, Inc., and Winning Touch International Marketing, Inc., among others.
The updated list also includes manufacturers and importers of vapor products, importers of novel tobacco products, and importers of heated tobacco products.
The BIR earlier released a revenue memorandum circular which requires importers or manufacturers of raw materials and equipment used to make heated tobacco products and vapor products to apply for an authority to release imported goods.
In May, the BIR filed 69 complaints against tobacco traders for tax evasion amounting to a combined P1.8 billion.
The agency expects to collect P2.64 trillion this year. Of the total, excise tax collections from tobacco products are expected to hit P169.8 billion. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
